THE
CARDINAL: A NOVEL OF LOVE AND POWER – Allison Weir
This was
the first book by Ms. Weir that I have read, and I must say I was pleasantly
impressed. I expected the book to be staid, steeped in facts and historic
events. It was, but more importantly, Weir wove a rich tapestry of the
Cardinal’s life with all his faults and accomplishments, a man who loved deeply
and loved power.
I received a digital copy from the publisher,
Random House Publishing Group and its affiliates and I am so happy I did. I
will post my review to GR and Amazon accounts.
I enjoyed
reading about the life story of Cardinal Thomas Wolseley. He was a driven boy,
determined to leave the trappings of his low birth behind and became a driven
man who worked hard to gain prestige and power. He served his King in various
roles with love and diligence and was well rewarded. The court of Henry VIII pulsed with intrigue
as many men and women vied to be in the King’s good graces. It was not a place
for the faint of heart.
Cardinal
Thomas Wolseley came to life on these pages, and I must admit in the final few
pages I shed some tears. He was a great
man, a flawed man but he devoutly believed in what he was doing.
I highly recommend this novel, even if you're not interested
in history or the Tudor period. It is that good! APRIL 1, 2025
SIX WILD CROWNS by Holly Race and published by Orbit Books
6 Queens –
1 King – 6 Wives
An imaginative retelling of King Henry VIII's six wives in
the fantasy realm of Elben by Holly Race. Here, the queens live in castles on
Elben’s borders and together protect the kingdom from invasion. Henry is
charming and professes love for each wife, but they remain strangers to one
another. The story introduces Boleyn, Seymour, Howard, Aragon, Cleves, and
Parr, each with distinct personalities.
Henry is
charismatic and claims to love each of his six wives. The queens, though they
are sisters through bond of marriage with Henry are strangers and seldom
interact with each other. We meet Boleyn, Seymour, Howard, Aragon, Cleves and
Parr, women with personalities as distinct as their fortresses.
Race crafts a delightful fantasy filled with dragons and
unique characters, creating vivid imagery that sets Elben apart from Tudor
England. It's a quick read that stands alone yet hints at potential sequels.
Thanks to Orbit Books for the ARC. April 30, 2025 5 stars
IS A RIVER ALIVE? by Robert MacFarlane
Is a River Alive? by Robert MacFarlane captured my attention from the
very beginning. It is a novel in which he delves into the belief that a river
is a living breathing entity that needs respect and the protection of law. Man,
often in the pursuit of progress or wealth, does not often stop to think of the
consequences of his decisions and actions. In this novel, MacFarlane takes us
on a journey to Ecuador, India, and Canada after recognizing the plight of the
chalk spring river near his Cambridge home. His topic is an important one
highlighting the dire consequences of pollution, building dams, mining, warming
temperatures, concrete developments, and droughts have on our water systems and
rivers. You would think that this book would be depressing as we learn about
the effects of ‘progress and how little of our water remains clean and clear.
Instead, with his beautiful flowing words, descriptions, and the rivers
themselves we hear and see the beauty and the hope that rivers are characters
in themselves. We begin to understand through recognizing the nature\rivers as
viable entities, we, might change our attitudes and laws, to create legislation
to protect before we run out of clean water. This is a thought provoking,
beautifully written booked filled with imagery that will stay with me for a
long time, and I encourage everyone to read it.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC. 5 stars
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